Hospital bed ladder



1953 A. N. FITZGERALD ET AL 2,659,902

HOSPITAL BED LADDER Filed July 14, 1951 ANTONIA N. FITZGERALD BHBURNARD 0. GA ABRANT- Patented Nov. 24, 1953 s PATENT OFFICE HOSPITAL BED LADDER Antonia. N. Fitzgerald, Denver, and Burnard O. Garrabrant, Edgewater, Colo.

Application July 14, 1951, Serial No. 236,778

This invention relates to means in association with bed frames for facilitating user availability of the bed, and more particularly to ladder or step means in operative association with a hospital bed in a manner employable to facilitate the safe and convenient use of such beds by patients, invalids, and children, and has as an object to provide an improved arrangement of elements that is practical and effective to accomplish such purpose.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved interassociation of step means and a bed frame effective to mount the step means on and for support in non-operative position by the frame ready for convenient extension into position of use at either side of the frame.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved step unit construction and mounting that is readily adaptable to association and use with conventional bed frames.

A further objectof the invention is to provide an improved construction and arrangement of elements constituting a step unit adapted for mounted association with and operative positioning at either side of a conventional bed frame.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved construction and arrangement of elements constituting a step unit and associated mounting that is simple and inexpensive of production, safe and convenient in use, susceptible of employment as anattachment to conventional 'bed frames or as an integrally-comprised feature of bed frame constructions, that is conservative of space and material, and that is constantly available for immediate use at either side of the bed wherewith it is associated.

, With the foregoing and other objects in view, our invention consists in the construction, arrangement and combination of elements as hereinaiter set forth, pointed out in our claims and illustrated by the accompanying drawing, in

" which- Figure 1 is an isometric view of a conventional hospital bed frame as equipped with our improvement in position of use at one side of the frame. Figure 2 is a cross section taken on the indicated line 2-2 of Figure 1 with the step unit of the improvement retracted out of its use positions as represented by the broken line representations of the view. Figure 3 is a fragmentary, detail elevation, partly in section and on an enlarged scale, taken substantially on the indicated line3-3 of Figure 1. Figure 4 is a fragmentary detail section, on an enlarged scale,

taken substantially on the indicated line 4-4 of 6 Claims. (Cl. -92) 2 Figure 3. Figure 5 is a cross section taken on the indicated line 5-5 of Figure 4.

The difficulties encountered by children, the aged, invalids, and the physically handicapped in getting into and out of ordinary beds are so well known as to require no elaboration. Such difliculties are a factor of material consequence in hospitals and analogous institutions, as well as in homes, where it is the practice to utilize beds of more than normal height castered to freely roll and move about. The hospital-type bed is desirable in a design which facilitates many of the operations incident to its use by patients, but its characteristic height and rollability induce real hazards with which the attendants are thoroughly familiar. The height of the hospital-type bed is too great to be negotiated by the ill and convalescent, either in leaving the bed or on returning thereto, and the rollability of the bed complicates the maneuvering incident to entering or leaving the bed when the user is physically unsure and enfeebled. A common practice is to provide a stool of moderate height which may be placed to assist the user in entering and leaving the bed, but such stools are themselves relatively unstable, and the rollability of the bed in relation to a stool which is to some. extent slidable on the floor and unconnected to the bed conduces to a hazardous separation of stool and bed under the pressures natural in the use of such equipment by an invalid, child, or handicapped person. Occasioned by the foregoing considerations and to eliminate the hazards and inconveniences of current practices, the instant invention is directed to a simple resolution of the problem in a practical and effective manner.

In the drawing, a hospital-type bed frameis represented as including conventionally-constructed head and foot members 10 and ll, respectively, end bars 12 bridging the head and foot members in some appropriate rigid association therewith, and side bars I3 rigidly engaged at their ends with corresponding ends of the bars E2 to span between the head and foot members I0 and H, all of which is representative of conventional bed frame construction wherein the side bars 13 may be of square, tubular form, as shown, or may be of any other appropriate shape in cross section, I-beam, channel, angle and circular cross sectional shapes being known and availed of in the production of bed frames.

Giving effect to the concept and principles of the invention, a pair of like channel bars I4 is fixed in any appropriate manner to and to bridge in spaced parallelism beneath and between the side bars l3 of the bed frame with their channels directed to open inwardly and in opposition. The bars M are preferably of such length as to just span the bed frame for engagement of their ends beneath and in position to be fixedly secured to the side bars I3, thereb to obviate any projection of said bars IA beyond the, bars [3, and the said bar's li lgmay beifixed to; and in, the desired mounted relation with the bars I3 "in any manher or by any means deemed to be suitable; ,it being feasible to weld, braze, or rivet the bar I' l ends to and against under surfacesno'fl-theubars 13, particularly at the time to f bed frame manufacture, or to bolt or clamp the 'endsfofsaijd are 14 to the bars I3 through the use of any means available for such purpose. The js'pacingbetween the bars M as mounted upon the bed .f rame is such as to receive and freely accommodate the width of a ladder or 'step unit I slidably engageable-with and between said bars. The .unit l5 may be of ny material and particular 'con- 'struction suited to its purpose and the operative relationship with the barsid for which it is designed.- As illustrated-the unit has like, sol id side' members i E- inte'rengaged in spaced, parallel relation-by perpendicularly-related tread *a-ndiiserelements defininga double step in each of which thetread and riser areof th'esame Math as-wen as duke inlength, thus condition- :ingthe steps for use when eithe'r of theirside hiemberendsis engaged-with the floor and the fother sideymeinber end is supported in and by ,the bars-i l; *inwh-ich disposition the sidememher-upper--margins---incline at an angle of approximately forty-five degrees'to the horizontal, iasrepr'esented in -Figure "1;; The unit I5 has a maximum side member length no greater than fthe-lengthofthe bars I' l with whichit is operawa associated, and adjacent each'outer corner of the-side members IS a roller,pin or equivalent element IB is mounte'd'to outstand laterally from the side-memberface in a size, and in a position, :to rotatabl or 'slidably engage withinthechanli-elof onegof the bars, Hi-and thereby support-the corresponding 'unitcorner in- -elevated-;; rela tion Ion thebar.- Asf'so-e'quipped with an element 118 "adjacenteach"of its four, outer corners, the unit fiisadapted for supported engagement of either fof-i -its ends with ends of the bars 14 andthe other Ofits'en'ds resting upon the floor in;'position.foruse of the unit as a'ladderiorstep'fiight, while engagement of theelements l8 at both ends of th'e unit l5 in and with thebar M channels ioper'ates 'to mount the unittransversely of and beneath the bed frame for translation. with the latter in convenient position of availabilityland the relationship typified by Figure 2, from whichrelationship the unit 15 is immediately and slidably extensible into position of use at either s ide of the bed frame. p

[Associated with the'bars M by means of the elements I 8 in the manner shown and above described, the unit "If: is but frictionally held to said bars when extended into either, position of 'userepresented by the broken lines ofvFiigure 2 and is hence capable of separating from the'bed f ra ine anditsfsupporting bars under conditions of use, hence it is a feature of the invention to provide means for'latching the unit 15 elevated end toits supporting bars I when the unitis "extended into position of use; and while such inter-latching of the unit It end with the barsj l may be accomplished -in various ways and through the use of various means, a simple and practical arrangement for such purpose is illustrated. Where, as shown in Figures 3 and 5, the upper flange of each bar [4 is wider than the parallel lower flange and hence extends to overlie the path transversed by each side member l6 of the unit [5, it is convenient to notch the overhanging bar flange inwardly adjacent each n of 3 111984, as a Jfilandt s ppl a short finger zli odtstanding from the endi and in the plane of each side member IS in position to enter and engage the notch I9 of its associated bar 14 when the step unit is extended and inclined into :fiQD'I; engagement, thus latching the elevated end of theunit l 5 to and against separation from 'its, suppo r ting"bars. Manifestly, the finger 20 may be provided to outstand laterally from its .moluntirlgzso irthe side member, as indicated by broken lines in Figure 5, thereby to condition the finger for notch engagement in a bar I4 upper flange corresponding in width with the bar lower flllgg- MY u wit As-will be pp'a'rent, the improvenient'provides a ladder or step unit carried by the bed frame,

concealed and out of the way when-not in use, immediately available for extension into position of use ateithe'r side of the bed frame,- and secure when in p'osition-of use against separation from the frame whereby it' is supported.

Since changes, variations, and-modifications in the form, construction, and arrangemei itofthe elements shownend 'e'scr'ibed ma'y 'beh'ad without departing em- 'the s'pirit 'o'f our invention, we "wish to be understood as being limited solely by the scope niche-a pended claims, ratherthan by any details ofthe illustrative showing and foregoing description. 7

We claim amour-invention: --1= The'conibin" n h a gbed fra'me having ails, '01" astrj'ght slide track formed with like-open ends carried by, beneath,

aud to bridgetransverselybetweensaid rails with its -;open en ds directly 'laterally of the; opposite :sides :of the bid' nam -Fa Stepjflig'ht' unit slidably and 'releasably engaged at each of its [ends with and for shift in either direction along "and through either iopen fend of said track {for ex- -tension therefromatfeithe'r sidefdi the'bed frame, and "means for "latching atrack-engaged "end of the r yo-ex n iedunit tbp i t trad: he

and 'releasably against separatio the unit free end'isloweredLintojfioor engagement. 2., The x mh nat dnmm a ed. i 'mezjhayins spaced, parallelsideiii ilsgnf'astraig tfs'lid'etfack formed with use open ends "carrie by, beneath, and 'to bridge transverselyibetween' said'r'ail's with its open ends 'di djlat'erally 'of the. opposite sides of the bed me,fajst e'p. fiight liriitblid'albly v I, g'ed at 'e'ach or its Tends with said track 'where y tofsupporjt said 'iinit fonl s'aid trackben'eath 3 iu rra'me J m condition 'fdr' shift in either directio aio e'anaih ughe the b end of the trackand for 'xte'n's'ionfroinithe time at either side :of thev frame, and means 5n ach lowered to latch, ftheftfackrengaged unit r pm" the track.

3. In combination with .a bed fram spaced, parallel "side rails, a tral-gm, sli

formed with like bpinenclsffi'xedto, be

'to bridge transvefs 'y'be'twfen said rails withits openends directedlaterally of; the opp sit sides of the bed frame, a, "step fiightgul it identioal me at a dco r 0 a jdiiinitfslidabl whereby ny-tf 'and beneath said frame for shift in either direction along and through either open and of the track and for extension at either side of the frame, and other means on each of the unit ends engageable with said track when the free end of the relatively-extended unit is lowered to latch the trackengaged unit end against separation from the track.

4. In combination with a bed frame having spaced, parallel side rails, a pair of like channel bars fixed in spaced parallelism to, beneath, and to bridge transversely between said rails with their channels inwardly opposed to constitute a track opening at each end laterally of the bed frame, a step flight unit receivable between said bars, identical means on and outstanding laterally from each end corner of said unit to slidable engagement within the opposed channels of said bars, whereby to support said unit on and between said bars laterally of and beneath said frame for shift in either direction along and through either open end of the track and for extension at either side of the frame, and other means on each of the unit ends engageable with said track when the free end of the relativelyextended unit is lowered to latch the track-engaged unit end against separation from the track.

5. The organization according to claim 4, wherein the step flight unit includes spacedlyparallel, like side members, and the means slidably engageable in the track bar channels comprises a stud receivable between the track bar flanges fixedly outstanding perpendicularly from the exterior face and adjacent each end of each said side member in a length approximating the track bar channel depth, and a roller revoluble on the free end of said stud.

6. The organization according to claim 4, wherein the step flight unit includes spacedlyparallel, like side members, the upper flange of each track channel bar is notched adjacent itsends, and the means for latching the unit against separation from the track when in position of use comprises a finger fixedly and angularly outstanding from each side member end for hooked engagement within a registered flange notch when the step unit is extended relative to the track and its free end is lowered.

ANTONIA N. FITZGERALD. 

